J. Rocc on Soul Assassins Radio performing a live mix in promotion of his "Some Cold Rock Stuff" release (4/5). J. Rocc gets on the wheels at the 26 second mark.
J. Rocc on Soul Assassins Radio performing a live mix in promotion of his "Some Cold Rock Stuff" release (4/5). J. Rocc gets on the wheels at the 26 second mark.
Still no new mixes, but I had to post this video. Tuesday night, ?uestlove and Black Thought were joined on stage by the Copyright Criminals All-Star Band (Eclectic Method, Chuck D, and long time James Brown drummer Clyde Stubblefield). The ensemble performed a live rendition of Public Enemy‘s “Fight The Power” (featuring BT doing a spot on Flavor Flav impersonation, clock and all). If you’re wondering where the name Copyright Criminals comes from, this DVD box set is just what you need. Copyright Criminals documentary after the jump. P.S. 7 more comments on the JS-1 mix below and we can resume our regularly scheduled programming.
I posted this mix late Monday afternoon in an effort to give you all little treat. When I initially posted the mix I did not read JS-1's thoughtful description of the mix. After reading the description of the mix I've decided that I'm going to do a little something different this week. I'm going to leave this mix and not post another mix for a few days to ensure that everybody hears and appreciates the mix. A quality mix is a piece of art and should be valued as such. There's a reason why all of the world's most respected deejays use two turntables and a mixer as their tools of trade. While your at it, you should all listen to the Ken Sport mix below because that is an incredible mix as well (along with many of the other mixes posted on this blog that I'm sure many of you have forgotten about and overlooked). This blog will not post a new mix until JS-1's Wikibreaks mix receives at least 20 comments. This blog receives thousands of unique visits a day and the fact that many of the mixes posted on this blog go without comment just isn't right. I suggest we all take a moment to reevaluate the art form that we all claim to love. If we're not going to buy these mixes, the least we can do is appreciate them.
Here's another mix for everyone to enjoy...
The "WikiBreaks" mix is a lil' over an hour of breaks from funk, disco, re-edits, and some hiphop tracks that are not the most popular. I made most of the mix using two turntables, and then added some scratches & phrases from movies, pop-culture, commercials, etc... As you download yet another free mixtape i give out, i do hope you realize and appreciate the value of a good mix. There is an over-abundance of wanna-be djays: posers, strippers, clowns, reality tv losers, athletes, d-list celebs, promoters, anyone with a laptop, and even the coat-check chick spins... With all these djays you would think there would be more incredible mixes to listen too, more than there was 15 years ago when there was less djays? Yet, there is not many today, but i have dozens of cassettes from the 90's with great mixes. Perhaps it's because even the djays capable of making great mixes, don't really do that anymore. There's very few. It takes more than just playing what people know and like, or playing some exclusive detox tracks that are HORRIBLE and no one gives a shit about anyway, or just scratching really fast, or just "mashing up" any two different songs, or having "catchy" artwork, or playing an electro song that sounds like its 98 minutes long, etc... It takes a whole lot, that apparently most djays lack, or are simply lazy and ONLY do dj for $ not for the love of what it means to be a DJ. So whenever any DJ puts together something that obviously took time and dedication, we should appreciate their effort to keep the true mixtape essence alive, although it's all downloads and digital 1 & 0's... I guess we can try to keep the quality on par while most fell off or missed the boat. "Tradition means that we need to end what began well and continue what is worth continuing..." Well, I'll continue to keep making really dope mixes with good music, over here...
WINNING!!!
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Courtesy DJ JS-1
If you're not hip on Ken Sport than you're not worthy.
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Nobody, and I mean nobody was better on the hooks. R.I.P. Nate Dogg
NATE IN '08 (MIXED BY DJ STEVE1DER) by DJ STEVE1DER
As the description suggests, a perfect mix for a Sunday morning.
A live mix recorded January 3rd 2011. A nice mix to fry an egg to on a Sunday morning. Enjoy.
Nothing better than waking-up to a 4-track mix on a Saturday morning.
This is a mini-disc 4-track mix I made sometime in the late 90's.....I was really happy to have found this machine in the newspaper ads and bought it off some random dude....you gotta remember, this is pre-craigslist days....
I thought it would be a great investment because with mini disc you could record over and over without loss of sound quality.....I thought mini disc was going to take off here, I guess it did in Japan but never really caught on here....
Turns out, it would cause occasional glitches and hiccups where part of the audio was messed up......Damn, this thing killed my workflow trying to correct broken parts.....
I intended to make at least an hour long mega-mix with this but never got back to it.....now that my Pro Tools skills are getting better, maybe I'll go back and redo and finish it in 24-bit baby....
P.S. Tracklist coming soon, just need time to write it all up....
J. Rocc gets into a nice little hip hop medley at the 49 sec. mark.
Part 2 of a very thoughtful conversation/interview between Revolution and Q-Bert. Q-Bert discusses how he makes money, stays healthy, and how DJ Shortkut was his best customer back in day when Q-Bert was pushing battle tapes on VHS. On a side note, I have to do whatever Q-Bert is doing to stay looking so young. Dude is like the Dick Clark of deejaying, but on steroids. He's pushing 44 and looks 18.
The title pretty much sums of the mix. The perfect mix if you're in the mood for something a little bit different and mellow.
** Update** Just finished listening to the mix all the way through. Listen and do yourself a favor.
Via Eric Nord
When Sparkle Motion mixes, I listen.
SPARKLE MOTION PRESENTS: "FLYTE TYME: THE ULTIMATE JIMMY JAM & TERRY LEWIS MIX - VOL. 1: THE 80's"
For their 5th official mix Sparkle Motion (TOBES & DJ Yoda) pay their respects to legendary Minneapolis production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis aka "Flyte Tyme". During the 1980s Jam & Lewis crafted huge number 1 songs for the likes of Janet Jackson, Alexander O'Neal and Human League. Get on board for an hour of smash hits and a few lesser known gems, all uniquely mixed and cut up by your favorite nasty, nasty boys...
TRACKLIST:
Grammy Intro
Herb Alpert f/ Janet Jackson - Diamonds (Cool Summer Mix)
Howard Johnson - Older Girl
Alexander O'Neal - Fake
Thelma Houston - You Used To Hold Me So Tight (Original 12" Mix)
Reel To Reel - Can You Treat Me Like She Does?
Janet Jackson - Miss You Much
Cherrelle f/ Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love
S.O.S. Band - The Finest
Cheryl Lynn - Encore
Howard Johnson - Knees
Change - Warm
Human League - Love Is All That Matters
Morris Day - Fishnet (12" Extended Version)
Cherrelle - Fragile... Handle With Care
The Time - Jerk Out
Janet Jackson - Control
Cherrelle - I Didn't Mean To Turn You On
Robert Palmer - I Didn't Mean To Turn You On
Alexander O'Neal - Criticize
Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You
S.O.S. Band - Just The Way You Iike It
Alexander O'Neal - Hearsay
New Edition - If It Isn't Love
Change - Let's Go Together
S.O.S. Band - Just Be Good To Me
Janet Jackson - Nasty
Human League - Human
SOS Band - Do You Still Want To?
I'm really having to restrain myself these days from typing "Highly Recommended" with just about every mix that I post. You all have been sending me some serious heat as of late. Just so that I don't water it down, I'm not going to "Highly Recommend" this mix, even though I highly recommend you listen to it.
Intro
Sirocalot: Sirocalot
J.V.C. Force: Stylin' Lyrics
D.J. Ace & Daquan: Hard To The Core
Strictly Bizness: Call It What You Want
The Heartbeat Brothers: Time 2 Get Paid (Anonymous Remix)
Antoinette: I Got An Attitude (Anonymous Remix)
Too Fresh: Hitten' Harder
Priority One: I Can't Go For That
Lightnin Lee & Poppy P: Big Time Chillin
D.J. Scratch & G-O-D: The Party Is Jumpin
Kings Of Swing: Stop Jockin' James
Dr. Luv & Kev-Ski: Overdose
Aaron Dee & C-Nice: Disassemble The Beat
D. Moet & X-Calibur: Dance To The Excalibur
M.C. Sugar Ray & Stranger D: If It Ain't Rough It Ain't Right
T.D.S. Mob: Dope For The Folks
Live N' Effect Posse: We Got A Message In Our Music
J.V.C. Force: A Force Thing
D.J. Miz & M.C. Ludicrous: Trouble
Take 6: Spread Love (Anonymous Remix)
Bid Daddy Kane: Ain't No Half Steppin Marley Marl Remix
A top-notch jazz fusion mix to start the week. Highly Recommended.
this is a Rare Jazz Fusion Mix that I made back in 2004/2005-----sunday morning music, or anytime you need to reflect or chill, your own space is the place! enjoy
72 minutes of obscure music, (35 minutes per side) all songs used from records from original pressings: All Original compositions, No cover versions.
Tracklisting Side 1:
1.) The Millenium "begin"---doubles, back to back
2.)Dave Kamien Division ---"dead ringer"
3.)Marcus Belgrave ---"space odyssey"
4.)Franck Dervieux --- "dimension M"
5.)Wojciech Karolak --- "instant groove"
6.)Cargo ---"pachyderm"
7.)Galt Macdermott--- "ripped open by metal explosions" doubles, back to back
8.)Andy Bey--- "celestial blues"
9.)Jonathon--- "stormy days"
10.) Ian Carr’s Nucleus ---"capricorn"
11.)Placebo--- "balek"
12.) Doug Lucas---"Niara"
13.)Smoke---"curtis" (from the ’Everything’ Lp
The title says it all. Except this mix is anything but simple, BBFamous puts in some work on this one right here.
Word to DJ Ada! Get it while it's hot.
S-Boogie from hiphopsite.com asked me to make a promo mix for an upcoming DJ Shadow release. This CD was only available with purchase of DJ Shadow's "Private Press" album from HipHopSite.com. This 30 minute mix is a comprehensive overview of DJ Shadow's career featuring exclusive tracks and remixes.
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Revolution and Q-Bert chop it up on a whole range of topics. Topics of discussion include: Q-Bert's initial attraction to deejaying, his Philipino heritage, living in Hawaii, being a deejay icon, etc...
A nice smoothed-out mix to put on as my Pac-10 teams get their asses kicked today. All I want for March Madness is for somebody other than Duke and THE Ohio State to win it. Anybody walking around saying I went to THE Ohio State instead of just saying Ohio State should be smacked. I wouldn't recommend smacking anybody who roots for Duke because they'd probably file charges.
This a pretty damn good mix right here. I don't know really how to describe the mix other than to say that you should listen and enjoy. If you don't, your loss.
Napster and illegal downloading may have killed the music business, but Steve Jobs may be the one who is personally responsible for "killing" music (at least according to Bon Jovi). I tend to agree with Bon Jovi in that itunes has virtually destroyed the whole concept of the album. I can't tell you how many college students of mine that I've spoken with that genuinely love hip hop music and quality acts like ATCQ, Rakim, Gang Starr, etc..., but have never heard any of their albums. To me, that's like watching only a few scenes of a classic movie. It just doesn't make any sense. You can read the article here.
With the accessibility of seemingly everything on the web, I hesitate to call anything "rare." With that said, I certainly had no idea that this mix existed. I must say that Primo gave Biggie the special treatment on this one. You'll hear a much more beatjunkie style mix coming from DJ Premier. Side 2 of this mix is held down by DJ Clue, but the next DJ Clue mix I post will be the first.
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Courtesy Doctor's Orders
Here is the audio from the video of Diamond D's 45 set that was posted not too long ago. Shout out to Doctor's Orders for the audio.
Download Mix
Numark was on Soul Assassins radio last week promoting his new album/mix mixng an assortment of cumbia, salsa, and hip hop. Numark gets on the tables at the 20 minute mark. Get the link while its hot because I think it will only be up for a week. Part 2 after the jump.
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High level, eclectic mix of hip hop, r&b, and some class breaks thrown in here and there. Description of mix and tracklist below.
What started as way for few brothers and friends to keep up to date on hip-hop and other topics we deemed cool, has turned into a lifestyle epicenter for thousands of people everyday. But over the years, its core has remained the same – a conversation between friends and family. Thanks and props to AMART, DFLO, Weston, A.Flores and all the other extended KTL fam (JGILLA, Kamikaze Xavi, KG, etc.) for making this a highlight of mine and many others each day.
As a thank you to everyone who has stopped by I made a mix to celebrate our 3rd birthday. Like KTL, I kept the theme – positive, upbeat, and influential. With every mix, there’s a little piece of my sweat and alot of my soul. So enjoy or destroy – whatever pleases you.
DOWNLOAD MIX HERE: http://iknowtheledge.com/hip-hop/ktl3yrannivmix2010
Tracklisting
DJ Franchise Intro/Mythsysizer – J. Dilla
Ordinary People (Spanish Version) – Aloe Blacc
My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
My Cherie Amor Remix (Beatnick & K-Salaam) – Stevie Wonder
Heavenly Break – Eli Escobar
100% – Big Punisher
E=MC2 – Common
Electric Feel (KEYS N KRATES X GT RMX) - MGMT
Sex, Love, and Money – Mos Def
Reservoir Dogs – Armand Van Helden
Roc Boys (THOSE MFs remix) – Jay-Z
2006 Freestyle – Nas
Nu Shooz I Can’t Wait vs T La Rock It’s Yours – DJ SPIDER
Looking At The Front Door – Main Source
Lisztomania (Classixx Version) – Phoenix
Come On Let’s Move It – Special Ed
CaliWay (Platurn Party Break) - DJ Vinroc feat. J-Billion, Spank Pops & 1 O.A.K.
Brazilian Rhyme – Earth, Wind & Fire
Youre So Good To Me (Illo’s Swingin’ Edit) – Curtis Mayfield
For Days – Francis and the Lights
Everything she wants – Wham
Golden Girl feat Trackademicks & 1-O.A.K. – Mike Baker the Bike Maker
Upset Lockdown (6th Sense & Apple Juice Kid Remix) - The Noisettes
Little Bit (CSS Remix) – Lykke Li
Hold Yuh (Major Lazer Remix) – Gyptian
PARTY LIFE (Green Latern Remix) – Jay-Z
One in a Milli – KEYS N KRATES
My People Hold On – Eddie Kendricks
This is the perfect weekend mix to put on in the background and just chill.
Just a mix of that Modern Soul-hip hop beats sound.........The first half is get your groove on the dancefloor style and then the second half is just chillin out with your lady style.....*Electric Relaxation Part 3* coming at some point....
1. Gene Harris – Losalamitos (vocals: Tahaj the 1st)
2. Hi-Tek feat. Mos Def & Vinia Mojica – Get Ta Steppin
3. D’Angelo – Follow Me (Red Astaire remix)
4. Adriana Evans – Reality
5. Paul Hunter – Interlude
6. Dwele – A.N.G.E.L.
7. Raphael Saadiq – Sky, can you feel me
8. Yam Who – Sky, can you feel me (remix) (vocals: Tahaj the 1st)
9. Lady Bug Mecca – If I Need to Move On
10. Erykah Badu & Common – Love of My Life
11. Reflection Eternal – Memories Live
12. Jamalski – Poom Poom (Sweet Agony Dub)
13. Dwele – Lady at Mohagany
14. D’Angelo – Everybody Loves the Sunshine…
15. Pete Rock – Interlude (In The House)
16. Charlie Hunter Quartet feat. Mos Def – Creole
17. Jill Scott – A Long Walk / Easy Conversation
18. Alice Russell – Peace Resides
19. Koop – Waltz 4 Koop
20. Tahaj the 1st feat. DJ Kikkoman - Conversation
If I remember correctly, none of you mentioned Rich Medina as a "slept-on" deejay. I would like to make my disagreement with all of you official.
Archived Session of JFX & JRocc at Soundation/Verdugo Bar, Los Angeles via Byzeone.
The one, the only, Diamond D spinning all 45's.
Leading up to the foundational Motor City guitarist's new self-titled solo album, Detroit's own House Shoes takes us on a journey through Dennis Coffey's history of funk. Including the psychedelic b-boy soul of Coffey's 70's solo material, classic recordings on which he recorded as a sessions musician, hip-hop cuts which have sampled his material, and even a couple of sneak peaks at the new album's music, Constellations is 45 minutes of straight heat, mixed by a master DJ intimately acquainted with Coffey's legacy, and his future.
Constellations - The A to Z of Dennis Coffey:A Mix By House Shoes
RECORDED AT SOUNDMATIC BY RHETTMATIC
1. Scorpio Intro- (feat Dennis Coffey, Jazzy Jeff, Jake One, and Q-Tip)
2. LL Cool J- Jinglin' Baby
3. Dennis Coffey- Main Theme (Black Belt Jones OST)
4. Dennis Coffey- 7th Galaxy*
5. Dennis Coffey- Ride Sally Ride
6. The Temptations- Cloud Nine
7. Rodriguez- Sugar Man
8. Marvin Gaye- I Want You
9. Dennis Coffey- Garden Of The Moon
10. The Spinners- It's A Shame
11. Dennis Coffey- Never Can Say Goodbye
12. Dennis Coffey- Whole Lotta Love
13. Diamond D- No Wonduh
14. Isley Brothers / Dennis Coffey & Lyman Woodward- It's Your Thing
15. The Floaters- Float On
16. The Dramatics- In The Rain
17. The Dramatics- Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get
18. Dennis Coffey feat. Mick Collins (Dirtbombs) & Rachel Nagy (Detroit Cobras)- I Bet You*
19. Edwin Starr- Easin' In (Hell Up In Harlem) / Digable Planets (Nickle Bags)
20. The Temptations- I Can't Get Next To You
21. The Undisputed Truth- Smiling Faces Sometimes
22. Dennis Coffey feat. Mayer Hawthorne- All Your Goodies Are Gone*
23. Outro
* denotes material from the upcoming Dennis Coffey album
This is a Biggie tribute mix even though you won't hear one Biggie song on the mix. Instead, you'll hear an assortment of Biggie vocals and audio snippets blended over the beats of a very well known producer with the last name Jackson (no, not the one you're thinking of). I'd like to thank who ever is responsible for leaking all those Biggie studio vocals to the web because this mix isn't possible without you. I'd also like to thank my two turntables, mixer, records, torq, and sp-404, because this mix isn't possible without those very loyal tools of the trade. Quite a bit of time and effort was put into crafting this mix so I hope you all enjoy.
All sorts of classic 80's R&B breaks here for your listening pleasure. Volume 1 (for those of you who haven't heard it yet) after the jump.
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DJ Premier vs. Pete Rock: Round 1 (FULL) from AlohaServedDaily on Vimeo.
Here is the full footage from the Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier battle that took place a little while back. I remember seeing the initial "battle" in L.A. back in 2008 and being very disappointed with the video footage that circulated afterwards. Almost 3 years later, finally some high quality footage.
I know there are quite a few Philly heads that are regulars on this site, so this one is for all yall.
This is a mix i made for out beloved brother and dearly missed DJ AM. It's hosted by Shecky Green and features Melo-D on the intro. It originally broadcast on BPM Sirius Radio as part of DJ AM's tribute weekend. I keep it close to my heart and hope you enjoy.
J. Rocc re-posted this mix for a "limited" time only, so grab it while it's hot.
James Brown Mix For Benji by jrocc
The mixing on this mix is tastefully low key to spotlight the music. The track selection can't be beat here.
Just a compilation of some of my favorite jazzy hip-hop songs by some of my all time favorite emcees, deejays, and producers....Listening to this one always take me back to DA 90's.... These songs will never get old to me, like the dude at the bar who can't give up his "classic rock" in the jukebox, I can't give up my "classic hip-hop", just the era I grew up in...
Like Chris Rock said "whatever kind of music you were listening to when you first started to get laid is the kind of music you're gonna listen to for the rest of your life"......"Whodini is just my sh*t...."
1. J-Live – A Charmed Life
2. Erule feat. King Born Allah– Listen Up
3. Dred Scott – My Mind is Driftin
4. Digable Planets – Where I’m From (Aural G. Ride mix)
5. Blackalicious – Attica Black
6. Freestyle Fellowship – Park Bench People
7. Donald Byrd – Kofi (The Angel Remix)
8. Buckshot Lefonque feat. DJ Premiere – Breakfast at Denny’s
9. Bahamadia – Rugged Ruff
10. Erule – My Synopsis
11. Yesha da Poed – The Mystery
12. People Under the Stairs – Afternoon Connection (Instrumental)
13. Aceyalone and Mumbles – Greatest show on Earth
14. T-Love – What’s My Name?
15. KMD – Peach Fuzz
16. Jamalski – Poom Poom (Sweet Agony Dub)
Pretty funny video with Rhymest talking about his stay at Jazzy Jeff's home. All sorts of great video of Jazzy Jeff's home studio throughout.
Below is Ian Head's description of the March installment of his monthly mixtape series.
This month I’m violating my vinyl-only rules, but for good reason. I’m still digging in the archives - cassettes and CD-only releases (plus a couple pieces of wax) make up this mixtape of some of my favorite hip-hop to come out of my hometown, the City of Thorns: Portland, Oregon. A lot of people who receive these emails and listen to my tapes believe I’m from New York, since I’ve been here for almost half my life now. But I’m a Trailblazers fan - I grew up in Portland, and keep a strong connection to the Northwest despite my years out east.
Despite what one would think, the hip-hop scene when I was growing up in Portland wasn’t just a bunch of skinny white nerds like me. There were - and are - some very passionate, incredible, original artists, and many of them continue on today, whether in PDX or elsewhere. In high school, as much as I waited for NYC or LA artists to visit the town and perform, I attended countless local shows and was inspired by these artists often more than those who passed through.
Before I ever owned a turntable, I was a dedicated fan. This tape is a dedication to the artists and music that I grew up on. I’m going to delve into some random stories and details in the liner notes below, but I just want to shout out all the artists on this tape who not only made the scene what it was, but also were often just down-to-earth, coolass people that I’ve had a chance to build with over the years. I know I wasn’t able to include all the amazing talent on this tape - names like Maniak Lok, Starchile, MyG, and Mackin Rob don’t make appearances here, but not because I’m purposely leaving anyone out. It was hard to track down some of these tapes! Big shout to Alex Stange and Dan Morris for helpin out with a couple parts of this tape, and my dude Littlewood for taping that Berbati’s show off KBOO. And shouts to the homies Mic Crenshaw, Good Sista Bad Sista, Pete Miser, Toni Hill, Vursatyl and Rev Shinez. And big shout and thanks to Jumbo the Garbageman, who patiently humored my nerdy hip-hop questions while schooling me on record digging and beats during his janitorial night-shifts years ago.
Hope everyone enjoys,
Ian
TRACKLISTING:
Bosko "Cool Nutz"
Off Bosko’s “Bombay” 12inch. You know it’s the 90s because there’s no caller-ID: Bosko has to ask who it is. (But you shouldn’t have to ask who Bosko is - a West Coast legendary producer, vocalist and emcee, he just produced several tracks on Big Boi’s latest album).
Cool Nutz ft. DJ Wicked "My Grip"
Cool Nutz is basically the godfather of Portland rap. Albums, shows, freestyles, radio - not to mention some of the most vintage promotional posters the Rose City has ever seen. He has a slew of aliases and even campaigned for mayor. This is one of my favorite songs - he’s telling the story of coming up in the game, bullshit jobs and all. I love the Portland references throughout - Grant Highschool, the 10 bus, Safeway, and even the little delimart that used to be at NE 15th and Brazee, not too far from where several of my friends grew up.
This song first came out on the Portland double-CD compilation "Western Conference All-Stars," which got a write-up in the Source magazine and was an essential PDX hip-hop release. Even if the quality of the tracks was kind of all over the place, it showcased the variety of style in the town from a grip of hungry artists.
Cool Nutz has released a grip of albums, most of them through his own Jus Family label. For the latest product, definitely check http://www.jusfamilyrecords.com/.
Pete Miser ft. Guaran-T "What It Be"
This is the title track off Pete’s first solo CD, in-between two CDs from his band the Five Fingers of Funk (more on them later). Dope beat, Pete comes off, and then he brings in Guaran-T from Vancouver, WA, right across the Columbia River. Vancouver (not to be mistaken for Vancouver, BC) is kinda like Portland’s version of New Jersey. Anyway, Guaran-T displays that ultra-smooth fresh-coast flow, and the track is topped off by DJ Chill Blend’s cuts. Filthy.
Bleek "Phenomenon"
The opening cut from one of the city’s legendary releases, the Bomb Threat compilation cassette, showcasing the Misfit Massive and Jumbo the Garbageman’s production. I remember Jumbo hit me with two copies, and we were talking about putting together a webpage for it like way back in ‘96. The whole tape was heat, and it was hard to choose a couple cuts to feature for this mix, but "Phenomenon" was an obvious selection. Bleek has that relaxed, smoothed-out flow, and the beat is sick - I remember playing this for NYC heads and they were loving the drums.
Lifesavas "Grand Larceny" (+ original)
Jumbo the Garbageman, janitor at my high school, and his crew the Lifesavas are not just local legends and hometown heroes - these cats are some of the most ridiculously talented and original artists out there. Too many times I saw them - long before they signed to Quannum - open for a touring act and out-perform the headliner. To watch them pay dues for years and then finally get signed, tour the world, have their music in commericials - they earned that shit ten-fold.
There’s a bunch of early Lifesavas cuts but I figured this was a fairly rare one, I believe only available on the cassette single with Vurs and Jumbo playing chess on the cover (designed by Pete Miser).
Jumbo hosted a late-night show for a few years called ‘Beat Jeopardy,’ where he and DJ Rev Shinez played original breaks from their collections and asked listeners to call in and name the song that sampled it. Not to mention various freestyle sessions, guests and exclusives that rolled through the show. Anyway - since I wasn’t able to digitize any of my Beat Jeopardy tapes, I thought I’d blend in the classic sample Jumbo used for ‘Grand Larceny’ here. The world rotates in reverse - and you can check that brand new Lifesavas cut right here!
Mic Crenshaw vs. ??? (KBOO freestyle battle)
Admittedly, I don’t own any of the early Hungry Mob (Mic’s crew at the time) cassettes, and wasn’t able to track any down. But I always loved how he served cats at this KBOO freestyle battle with the most intense, creative barrage of rhymes that just had the hosts completely speechless (or cracking up). Big shout to Mic - a really humble, amazing dude - go support his latest album.
G-Ism ft. Cool Nutz "Funk Mode"
You can’t have a Portland tape without including G-Ism. The Jus Family crew had a lot of talented, dope artists but Ray Ray and Young Randall (RIP) just had that stage presence and hunger on the mic. Once again, you get the feeling if they were somewhere besides Portland, they might have blown up. My friend reminded me how Cool Nutz would open shows with this song. Classic stuff.
Liberetto "Playin Your Game"
Jumbo made a point of telling me to listen to this cut when he gave me the Bomb Threat tape. Definitely a classic storytelling cut over a haunting beat. Another extraordinary emcee talent. Everyone should check Liberetto’s later releases, specifically his 2004 “Ill’Oet” EP.
Cool Nutz ft. Lifesavas "Yes Y'all"
I was chilling with Jumbo in the back of the Lincoln Highschool cafeteria - like where they cook the food, near the ovens. He paused from work to play me some new beats, and he was telling me about Cool Nutz’s album “Harsh Game for the People” that was about to drop, and the beats he’d placed on the album. I think it was very close to the album release show. He told me about this track, and how he couldn’t believe the beat. I remember going to the show soon after, buying the album, and playing this track on loop in my headphones like 10 times before going to bed. Ridiculously dope. Not to mention that "Harsh Game" is a great album all the way through.
Grassroots "Navigation"
Kind of a forgotten PDX classic in my opinion, Grassroots released one album of dope beats and rhymes, and put on some great live shows as well. I’ll always remember them coming out to this song at Poh-Hop waving flashlights around as the spacey-beat came in. Don’t sleep.
151 "151 (Remix)"
I remember seeing 151 perform a couple times, but never copped her tape. Luckily, my fellow Portland hip-hop head Alex did. He digitized what is a really dope album. This is the remix of the title track.
Five Fingers of Funk "360"
In high school, I spent a lot of late nights at Fingers shows, especially when they were playing at the now shuttered La Luna venue. A funk band with a full horn section plus DJ-emcee Chill Blend and emcee / front-man / visual artist / b-boy / mastermind Pete Miser, the Fingers sold out shows throughout the Northwest during the mid-90s, especially in Portland. Their shows were just like crazy, hip-hop parties - marathon freestyles, guest appearances, b-boy ciphers, instrumental jam sessions - you’d just be bobbing your head or dancing for at least two hours straight, and the vibe was always classic.
This song is off their second album, and hasn’t ever sounded old to me over the past 14 years. There’s not a lot of music I can say that about.
Five Fingers of Funk ft. Jumbo and Al-C "Live at Berbati's Pan 1995 Freestyle" (KBOO Radio)
Had to close the tape with this, and sadly it also is a reminder that Berbati’s Pan, another great Portland venue, closed earlier this year. But it’s also a reminder of the shows I just mentioned, and how amazing the Fingers were live. It features Jumbo of the Lifesavas and the indelible Al-C of Soul Rhythm Soliders kicking ridiculous flows back and forth with Pete.
-- DJ Ian Head
A little bit of everything on this high quality live mix. Mpenzi is on the wheels for the first 20:34, while Shortkut closes out the last 27 minutes of the set.
Fat Beats founder Joe Abajian explains how Fat Beats will live on in the aftermath of it’s retail stores closing. The new venture will exist as a “pop-up shop”, a monthly event which will section off a piece of their Brooklyn warehouse for customers to come in and purchase product. “FB BK will be reminiscent of the atmosphere and energy that the NY and LA stores once exuded. We have DJs of note spinning throughout the day, such as DJ Evil Dee, DJ Spinna, and Rich Medina,” Joe told The Village Voice. The first event takes place March 5th from noon to 8pm. Via HipHopSite
Personally, I applaud FatBeats for attempting to find new ways to reinvent itself. I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that these "pop-up shop" dates become events and hip hop pilgrimages that true heads flock to from around the country. That of course, is assuming it's done correctly.
Shout out to Cosmo Baker for putting out at least a mix a month for all of us mix skanks. Cosmo's description of the mix below.
Back up in this motherfucker with another one, it's the brand new Top Ten Mix for March. Again, here's a selection of records that really moved me this month, from all across the board. Now let me shout out my dude Mikey Palms who for the longest time was trying to get me to do a mix series called "Baker's Dozen." There were so many great songs that I came across this month that I decided to extend the bonus round out with 3, so we have a true Baker's Dozen with 13 songs in total. So let me rap a little about these tunes. I once told a friend that I was resolved to "say less with more" but to hell with it, I'm a verbose motherfucker so let's go...
The first song is a remix of Kanye West "Monster" featuring Nicki Minaj who, honestly is the only person I want to hear on that track. The song was adventurously re imagined by a new group Teachers that you will be hearing a lot more about very soon. Next up is the new Holy Ghost! record that sounds like they've been listening to a lot of Jan Hammer. I'm not mad at that. Third is Pools, which is the brainchild of my dear friends Thee Mike B & DJ Morse Code. Last year I spent a lot of time in LA, and a good amount of that time was spent at pools. This pretty much sounds exactly what it was like. Fourth is the new Steve Arrington produced by Dam Funk. Nuff said. After that is the brand new Beth Ditto off her self titled solo EP. This is new territory for her, and it fits like a glove in my opinion. I had to give a nod to the Moombahton movement and include my homie DJ Apt One with "Bells And Whistles" which is based around a very healthy Sergio Mendes sample.
If you know me, you know I LOVE brass band music. The seventh song on the mix is from the UK's Hackney Collier Band. They do it really right with their version of the Toto classic. Following that is a remix ofHeadman by Finland's own Hannulelauri. Such a groovy tune, I first heard it on a mix by The Magician AKA Stephen Fasano, formerly of Aeroplane. The ninth song is a little older but I just got hip to it. Simian Mobile Disco as envisioned by one of my favorites, Maurice Fulton. Rounding out the ten is one of my favorite songs right now, Adele "Rolling In The Deep" - with a dancefloor workout by Brooklyn's own Cousin Cole.
The Baker's Dozen bonus starts with a unique take on the Sex Pistols "Pretty Vacant"by Drop Out Orchestra, propelling this punk anthem into a groovy downtown disco dancer. The last two records come straight out of Los Angeles. We'll start with the groovy dance number by my friends Posso, who absolutely kill it live as well (as I witnessed in New York several weeks ago.) Finally, finally, finally... OFWGKTA. You all heard thename, you all know the steez. But out of the camp comes Frank Ocean, with one of the best releases I've heard in a long time. This is 21st Century soul music at it's finest. So I hope you all enjoy this mix. Download it, share it, rock out to it. Thanks a million, as always.
Tracklist:
1: Kanye West "Monster feat. Nicki Minaj" (Teachers Exclusive Nicki Minaj Monster Remix)
2: Holy Ghost! "Do It Again"
3: Pools "The End Of Summer"
4: Steve Arrington "I Be Trippin' feat. Dam Funk"
5: Beth Ditto "Do You Need Someone" (Original Mix)
6: DJ Apt One "Bells And Whistles"
7: The Hackney Colliery Band "Africa"
8: Headman "Voices" (Hannulelauri Dub)
9: Simian Mobile Disco "Cruel Intentions" (Maurice Fulton Remix)
10: Adele "Rolling In The Deep" (Cousin Cole Remix)
BAKER'S DOZEN BONUS
11: Sex Pistols "Pretty Vacant" (Drop Out Orchestra Rework)
12: Posso "Your Life - Don't Konk Out" (Edit)
13: Frank Ocean "Swim Good"
This mix is no f*cking joke! I probably should have waited to post this mix on a Friday, but I got so excited after hearing it on Tuesday night that I had to share it right away. The mix covers many of the dance hall/reggae/hip hop influenced cuts from the 90's. Straight butta for your Wednesday morning toast. If you feel like calling-in sick, enjoying some libations, and listening to this mix, Pipo says "the hell with your rent!" Enjoy life and get evicted later. Description of the mix below.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but when I try to make a mix, I try real hard to stay with the theme I'm goin with......Back in the early 90's, I used to record Jason D's "Wise Up" show 88.1 KZSC and started to notice he put these occasional dancehall-hip hop version songs here and there on his 3 hour show......Back then, an artist named *Supercat* (90's version of Sean Paul) was f*ckin kill-ing IT!!!!! he couldn't be touched, his flow was incredible, and this mix is essentially a tribute to his influence on hip-hop culture.....Sean Paul did the same thing at the beginning of this century, but I haven't kept up with him for a bit, what's he up to??
1. Smif-N-Wessun – Sound Boy Burreil 2. KRS One – Black Cop (Instrumental) 3. King of Dub – Stalac 80 Dub 4. Main Source – Just Hangin Out 5. Sister Nancy – Bam Bam 6. Poor Righteous Teachers – Easy Star 7. Super Cat – Don Dada (Hip Hop Mix) 8. Off The Hook – Hip Hop Mix 9. Shabba Ranks feat. KRS One – The Jam (Back to the Bridge Mix) 10. Nubian Crackers – Do you Wanna Hear It? (Six Million Ways to Mix) 11. Nubian Crackers feat. Fragga Ranks – Do you Wanna Hear It? (Minute to Mix…) 12. Funkmaster Flex – 6 million ways to die 13. Nubian Crackers – Do you wanna hear it? (Jazzy Old School Dub) 14. Super Cat – Ghetto Red Hot (original and Hip Hop mix) 15. Off the Hook – Hip Hop Mix 16. Nubian Crackers feat. Don-T – As Them Talk (Nubian Radio / Crackamuffin Mix) 17. On The Down Low – Booma Dem 18. Nubian Crackers – Two For the Time 19. Super Cat – Cabin Stabbin (Hip Hop mix) 20. Special Ed – Everyday Iza Gunshot 21. Super Cat – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, & The Crazy (Hip Unsteady Mix) 22. KRS One feat. Mad Lion – Return of the Boom Bap (Iron Lion remix) 23. Jamalski – Jump, Spread Out (remix) 24. Super Cat – Dem No Worry We (Hip Hop mix) 25. Jamalski – African Border (remix) 26. ________ – Jah Rastafari 27. Lion of Judah feat. Bounty Hunter – Emperor Selassie I (Lion of Judah remix) 28. Tino’s Breaks Five – Toasted Dub 29. The Angel feat. Navigator – Dark Days (Inner Power) 30. 60 Channels – Ride with the Flow (Supa Crucial Version)
All of you with kids will identify with this conversation about the musical aesthetic of children. The interview did get me to thinking about why certain kinds of music intrinsically have "mass" appeal. If kids don't yet have an established musical aesthetic, what is it about certain forms of music that seem to universally appeal to young ears?
Chapter 1 - The Beginning
Chapter 2 - A Touch of Jazz
Chapter 3 - Philly Music Culture
Chapter 4 - Aspiring DJ's
Chapters 2-4 after the jump.
Description of the mix below.
THE GAFF & FACTOR (sideroad 2007) ALL ORIGINAL VINYL (1967-77). created with records, skills, and Cool Edit only. Ready To Take THE TRIP? I suggest you burn one. or two. ***this was originally in 4 'parts' I've edited them together as one for listening here in soundcloud***
Update: I find it highly disturbing that this mix doesn't have 20 comments all discussing how wonderful of a mix it is. For the record, I have absolute no connection to DJ Soul other than being a fan.
Straight buttery biscuits and apple sauce.
Download
1. Average White Band – Overture
2. Kool & The Gang – Summer Madness (Live)
3. Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes – I Miss You
4. Ace Spectrum – I Don’t Want To Play Around
5. Les McCann – Sometimes I Cry
6. The Montclairs – Do I Stand A Chance
7. Bunny Sigler – Half A Man
8. Kenny Nolan – A Song Between Us
9. Andy Bey – Tune Up
10. Smoked Sugar – Keeping Up My Front
11. The Bar-Kays – If This World Was Mine
12. The Intruders – Together
13. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Interlude
14. Mike Oldfield – In High Places
15. Steel Pulse – Blues Raid Dance
16. Vado – Large In The Streets
17. Francois De Roubaix – Les Dunes D’ostende
18. Sweet Inspiration – You Roam When You Don’t Get It At Home
19. John Cameron – Half Forgotten Daydreams
20. New Hope – Godofallofus
21. The Warriors – Interlude
22. Baltik – No Registration, Please
23. Brian Bennett – Solstice
24. Michael Jackson – Heartbreak Hotel
25. Melvin Bliss – Synthetic Substitution
26. Kid Dynamite – Uphill Peace of Mind
27. Soul II Soul – Back To Life
28. The Ambassadors – Ain’t Got the Love (Of One Girl On My Mind)
29. Lamont Dozier – Let Me Make Love To You
30. Gringo – Patriotic Song
31. The O’Jays – A Prayer
32. Cortex – Chanson D’Un Jour D’Hiver
33. Caldera – Ancient Source
34. Heart – What About Love
35. Curtis Mayfield – The Makings of You (Live)
36. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – You Are, I Am
37. Justice – Phantom Pt. 2
38. Flo & Eddie – Keep It Warm
39. Annie Lennox – No More “I Love You’s”
40. Reflection Eternal – Interlude
41. Heaven & Earth – Let Me Back In
42. Joanna Newsom – The Book Of Right-On
43. Ndugu & The Chocolate Jam Company – Take Some Time
44. Lonnie Liston Smith – If You Can’t Take Care Of Me
45. Monsters Of Folk – Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
46. Trevor Dandy – Is There Any Love
47. John Legend – Again
48. Aphex Twin – Avril 14th
49. Chris Rock – Interlude
50. Enchantment – Silly Love Song
